The fulfillment of Scripture prophecies
as marked by the beginning of the return of
Israel to Palestine, continues increasingly
to have the attention of thinking Christians.

The following is extracted from a letter
in an English paper by Mr. Charles Reade,
the well-known novelist, whose remarkable
conversion occurred last year.

THE PROPHETIC ASPECT OF THE JEWISHPERSECUTION.

"The Jewish nation, though under a cloud,
will eventually resume their ancient territory,
which is so evidently kept waiting for
them.
The prophecies are clear as day on
two points: That the Jews are to repossess
Palestine, and indeed, to rule from
Lebanon to Euphrates; and that this event
is to be the first of a great series of changes
leading to a vast improvement in the condition
of poor suffering mankind and of
creation in general.
Now, we have here in
prospect a glorious event as sure as the sun
will rise to-morrow.
The only difference is
that the sun will rise at a certain hour, and
the Jews will occupy Syria and resume their
national glory at an uncertain day.
No
doubt it is the foible of mankind to assume
that an uncertain date must be a distant one.
But that is unreasonable.
Surely it
is the duty of wise and sober men to watch
precursory signs and lend their humble cooperation,
should so great a privilege be
accorded to us.

"This sudden persecution of the Jews in
the very nation where they are most numerousmay it not be a precursory sign, and a
reminder from Providence that their abiding
city is not in European Tartary?
I almost
think some such reminder was needed; for
when I was a boy, the pious Jews still
longed for the Holy Land.
They prayed,
like Daniel, with their windows open toward
Jerusalem.

Yet now that the broken and impoverished
Saracen would cede them territory at
one-tenth of its agricultural and commercial
value, a cold indifference seems to have
come over them.
I often wonder at this
change of sentiment about so great a matter,
and in so short a period, comparatively
speaking, and puzzle myself, as to the
reason.

Two solutions occur to me.
1. Dispersed
in various nations, whose average
inhabitants are inferior in intelligence and
forethought to themselves, they thrive as individual
aliens more than they may think so
great a multitude of Jews could thrive in a
land of their own, where blockheads would
be scarce.
2. They have for centuries contracted
their abilities to a limited number of
peaceful arts and trades; they may distrust
their power to diversify their abilities, and
be suddenly a complete nation, with soldiers,
sailors, merchants, husbandmen, as
well as financiers and artists.

But it is now proved that sojourning
among inferior nations has more drawbacks
than living at home.
True, the Russian yokelhas for years been selling to the Jews hissummer labor in winter, and at a heavy discount; but the improvident Russians have
turned like wild beasts upon them, and outwitted
lawfully, have massacred them contrary
to law.
Palestine can be colonized
effectually from Russia alone, where there are
three millions of Jews trembling for life and
property; and the rest would follow.
As
to the second objection, history is a looking-glass
at our backs.
Whatever Jews have done Jews may do.
They are a people [R400 : page 1] of genius; and genius is not confined
by nature, but by will, by habit or by accident.
What have these people tried and
failed in?
Warriors, writers, builders, merchants,
lawgivers, husbandmen; and supreme
in all!
In this history repeats itself.

"They shall be great in the arts of peace
and war, and their enemies melt away before
them like snow off a dyke.
Should
they seem to require help from any other
nation at starting, blessed will be the nationthat proffers it; and the nation that persecutes
them will be made an example of in some
way or other.
Therefore, if by any chance
this recent outrage should decide the Jewish
leaders to colonize Palestine from Russia,
let us freely offer ships, seamen, moneywhatever we are asked for.
It will be a
better national investment than Egyptian,
Brazilian or Peruvian bonds."

Thus we see that from every quarter
thoughtful minds are beginning to note the
evidences of another great dispensational
change.
It is to be a gradual change from
the Gospel Age into the Millennial Age.
The former closes with a night, the latter
commences as a dawning day. It is the
day foretold by prophets when the earth
and groaning creation shall be blessed and
liberated from the effects of sin-blight, and
death.
It is the day in which "the Sun of
righteousness shall arise with healing in his
wings"when the great physician shall
heal and revive sin-bitten humanity.
In
him shall all the families of the earth be
blessed.

"A thousand years, Earth's coming glory,
'Tis the glad time so long foretold;
'Tis the glad day of promise given,
Prophets foresaw in times of old."

The Gospel Age ends, not because it has failed, but because it has accomplished its
object.
It's object was to call out, select
and perfect a small fragment of Earth's
peoplea "little flock" of overcomers of
the world, accounted worthy to be exalted
to a spiritual plane of existence and to
share as the Bride of the Lamb of God, in
his glorious work of blessing mankind in
general during the incoming age.

Fleshly Israel was cast off from all
special favor of God when this age began,
and Paul assures us that when the work of
selecting the spiritual church is complete,
God's favor will again cover them as a
people. (See Rom. 11:25-32.)
The fact
that favor is now beginning to come to
them, is therefore an incidental proof of
our positionthat we are in the lapping
time of the two ages.

Encouraging reports of the progress of
truth come to us from every quarter.
Infidels
and backsliders, and wholly consecrated
saints are studying the Bible more
than ever before, to see if these things in
which we rejoice are the teachings of the
Word of God, and are coming to say of the
beauty and grandeur of God's plan and
word, as the Queen of Sheba said of SolomonThe half had not been told me.
No,
dear friends, we do not pretend to have
told you half of the goodness and love and
power of our infinite Father, the God of
all grace.
We merely try to point you to
the Word as the inexhaustible fountain of
truth and knowledge, that together we
might be able to some extent, to comprehend
with all saints, the love of God which passeth knowledge.
The more of our
Father's character we see, the more we feel
like exclaiming with Paul, "O, the depth
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God."

And the more we come to appreciate
God, and His Word and plan, the more
our hearts burn with a desire to make it
known to all men; especially to those dear
children of our Father, who are yet as we
ourselves once were, blinded by ignorance
of the true teachings of His Word, and
dwarfed and fettered by the traditions of
men, the creeds and theories of the sects.
Praise God that the light is shining more
and more, and others as well as we are being
blessed by it.

As we each come to see the truth, if it
has its legitimate and intended effect upon
our hearts and lives, it will be our delight
to use all possible effort in making known
the glad tidings to others: Blessed is that
servant whom his Lord when he cometh
shall find giving meat in due season to the
household. (Matt. 24:45,46.)
We
should be specially interested in making it
known to every consecrated child of God,
many of whom are almost starved.
You
may have for the asking abundance of
reading matter for free distribution.

A very large edition of this issue has
been sent out in hope of awakening thinking
Christians from the lethargy and worldliness
which has so largely overspread
Christendom.
The topics presented will
be new to many of them, and we trust that
all thoroughly consecrated readers will test
it, and decide on its truthfulness, not by
their prejudices, not by any sectarian creed,
but by the Word of God, the only proper
and infallible test; remembering, that the
cause of divisions or sects is, that each
party defends its creed, instead of laying
aside tradition or accepting the harmonious
testimony of Scripture.

We subjoin a few of the many letters
constantly coming to hand, that you may
know of the deep interest being felt among
thinking Christians.

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

MY DEAR SIRPermit me, though a
stranger, to assure you that I can never feel
sufficiently thankful that out of the thousands
of copies of your book, "Food for
Thinking Christians," distributed in this
town, a copy fell into my hands; apparently
it was the merest accident; but really I
regard it as a direct providence.
It has
thrown light upon subjects which have perplexed
me for years, and has made me feel
more than ever what a glorious book the
Bible is, how worthy of our profoundest
study.
At the same time, I came from the
study of your book with the conviction that
a very large proportion of the theology of
our churches and schools is the merest
scraps of human notions, and that our huge systems of theology, upon the study of which
some of us have spent so many laborious
yearsonly to be the worse confused and
perplexedare infinitely more the work of
mistaken men, than the inspiration of the
allwise God.

However I may differ from the book in a
few minor details, I found the main argument
to be resistless, commending itself to
both my head and my heart.
Again let me
thank you on my own behalf for the good
I have received.

I find at the close of it you make an offer
to send copies to any who have reason
to believe they can make a good use of
them.
In my church and congregation
there is a number of intelligent persons who
are interested in the second coming, and
who would be only too glad to read your
book.
I could distribute seventy copies
with advantage.
You say, "Ask and ye
shall receive."
I have faith in your generosity.
Believe me to remain

GENTLEMENHaving read with the
most profound interest your publication
entitled, "Food for Thinking Christians,"
and being fairly dazzled by the wonderful
light it reveals on the great subject, I
find myself thirsting for more knowledge
from this seemingly inspired pen.

Therefore in accordance with the invitation
extended by you on the cover of this little
work I ask that you send me a few copies
of "The Tabernacle and its Teachings."

With reference to the first-named book,
permit me to say that I have never yet read
or heard anything equal to that little volume
in its influence upon my heart and
life; and, to my mind, it answers most
grandly and conclusively the great question,
"Is life worth living?"
Such views as
it sets forth are bound to find response in
the minds and hearts of all unbiased thinking
Christians, for they bear the stamp of
something greater than mere human conception.
I only wish we could hear it from
the pulpits; but I think this must shortly
follow.
It is good seed, and in its "duetime" will come forth.

"ZION'S WATCH TOWER"My dear goodfriends:Your kind favor, "Food for ThinkingChristians," reached me in due time.
To say that it is an exceeding welcome gift
but feebly expresses my appreciation and
gratitude.
I have learned what I never
knew before, and it has brought to me such
a flood of light that I am amazed at the
grandeur of the scheme and plan of redemption.
To allow the phrase, I have
literally devoured it, and my soul is ravished
with the indescribable excellency and
magnitude of God's plan of salvation.
Oh,
how dull and blunted does now appear the
common method of Christian instruction.
Who can read these things and longer
doubt and waver about the truth, beauty
and inspiration of the Bible, or the manner
in which its glorious truths should be inculcated
and demonstrated.
I trust and
believe that the great Author of the Word
will prosper and bless you abundantly.
Whatever else you have of like nature for
grateful hearts I trust you will favor your
present correspondent with.

Yours truly, __________

AUSTINTOWN, O.

DEAR BRO.The publication entitled
"Food for Thinking Christians," was duly
received a few weeks ago, and I have carefully
distributed the greater portion of them
among such as would appreciate such teachings;
and they all speak volumes of praise.
It is indeed food for Christiansrich food.
Would to God we could only have the
whole world read and fully understand.
May God bless the work, and may the
blessed seed sown sink deep in each and
every heart, and bear much fruit to the
honor and glory of God.

MY DEAR BROTHERI have long felt a
desire for some communication in reference
to those blessed matters that make us one
in our Supreme Head.
I have been made
better acquainted with the way of life recently.
The new food has revived my
slumbering spirit and given me a keener
desire for a knowledge of the Word of God,
and better understanding of his ways and
dealings.
I have been so absorbed with
these delightful matters that the things of
this present life sink into comparative insignificance.
I can now comprehend the
Apostle's exclamation, "O the depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God, how unsearchable are his righteous
acts and his ways past tracing out."
How
privileged and responsible are those who
are made watchmen upon the towers of
Zion, to give warning, guidance and instruction
to those who are seeking and willing
to accept truth at all hazards; pointing
out to us the dangerous reefs and rocks, and
the hidden shoals and sandbars.

O that all would search for and receive
present truth, with all its joyful satisfaction
and the comforting assurances and instructions
constantly affordedthe near or full
completion of the Body of Christ to spread
universally the "good tidings of great joy;" the presence of the glorious Head of the
Church, the grand parousia, the returning.
Blessed thought, can anything be more exhilarating
than these and other kindred
blessed assurances, and the ineffable glory
of the whole church which is to follow.
Haste, haste, thou blessed time of glory,
when the anointed one shall reign and all
powers but his shall end....Truly your brother in the Lord.